


Gathered Together Here

by Courtney621



Category: AUSTEN Jane - Works, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: in which darcy tries not to kill a man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29061036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Courtney621/pseuds/Courtney621
Summary: Fitzwilliam Darcy and George Wickham share a moment on the Wickhams’ wedding day.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	Gathered Together Here

“Who would have thought that you would be in attendance at my wedding, Fitz?”

Fitzwilliam Darcy stared straight ahead, determined to ignore George Wickham’s goading.

“I cannot tell you how pleased I am to share this special day with such a dear old friend.”

It wasn’t even particularly _good_ goading; Darcy was embarrassed for him.

“I have been wondering, Fitz, about the true reason behind your generosity to me now, after years of denying me what is rightfully mine.” 

Darcy looked at his watch disinterestedly.

“And do you know what I have decided? I have decided that you are doing it all for someone else. Which of the Bennet girls are you in love with?”

Darcy continued to imagine himself alone somewhere, possibly by the stream at Pemberley, far away from the nettling of the man beside him.

“The lovely Miss Bennet would probably make you the best wife,” said Wickham, “as tranquil and elegant as she is. Perhaps that is the real reason you sent your friend away from Hertfordshire. You wanted her for yourself.”

He wondered how Mrs. Reynolds was doing. Georgiana had written to say that their housekeeper had sprained her wrist, accidentally knocked over by one of the maids, and yet the woman still refused to rest.

“But do you know what I think?” continued Wickham maliciously. “I think it is the charming Miss Elizabeth who has caught your eye.”

Darcy remained impassive, did not want a single look or action to betray him, but his jaw was clenched so tightly by now that he thought that his teeth might shatter.

“You _do_ know that she hates you, Fitz.”

Darcy did not think that was true, not anymore, but the idea was still painful to him.

“We often talked about you. She always had plenty to say about how repulsive and disagreeable you are. I scarcely had to contribute anything at all. Good Lord, you do not seem to make yourself well liked anywhere you go, do you?"

He hoped she was well, back at Longbourn, and was no longer suffering from Lydia’s folly. 

“Do you think saving her little sister will make dear Miss Lizzy love you?”

“You should be quiet now,” said Darcy, his tone supremely indifferent.

“Or maybe,” said Wickham, “you are hoping that, despite how much she loathes you, she will feel forced to marry you, after all of the money that you have spent saving her family’s reputation.”

The thought made Darcy’s stomach lurch. The last thing in the world that he wanted was for Elizabeth to find out about his role in any of this. If he were ever to make her love him, if he were ever to ask for her hand again, he wanted to be accepted for his own merits, and not under any misplaced sense of obligation.

“I thought you would choose someone more handsome, Fitz,” said Wickham. Darcy could see him sneer from the corner of his eye. “You could easily buy yourself a better-looking wife. Plenty of pretty women would put up with you for your money.”

What was taking the Gardiners so long?

“And what about your cousin, Miss de Bourgh? Surely someone as self-important as yourself would not want to miss the chance to expand their wealth.”

Darcy began counting the seconds as they passed.

“Ah, well,” said Wickham, “I suppose it is all just the eccentricities of the wealthy.” He nudged Darcy in the arm. “I could tell my dear sister Elizabeth how very charitable you have been, Fitz. Put in a good word for my old friend.”

“You will not breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“Or risk facing your wrath?”

Darcy finally turned to look at him.

“Yes,” he said coldly. 

Wickham smirked, but despite all of his bravado, he had always been intimidated by Darcy, a fact that Darcy was perfectly well aware of. 

“By the bye, Fitz, I have been meaning to ask. How is darling little Georgiana doing? Oh, how I have missed her!”

Darcy concentrated very hard on maintaining his composure. This, perhaps, was the greatest temptation yet to fly at Wickham and throttle him. More than a year later, Georgiana was still traumatized by the whole Ramsgate affair. His sweet, trusting little sister had been damaged, maybe irreparably, by Wickham’s cruelty, and who knew if she would ever be the same.

“I will not warn you again. _Hold your tongue._ ”

Wickham, of course, immediately opened his mouth to speak once more, but he was interrupted by the arrival of the Gardiners and Lydia.

They got through the ceremony uneventfully, officially putting an end to the whole tawdry business, and the newlywed Wickhams set off for Longbourn. Despite everything it had cost Darcy - the time, the effort, the money, the aggravation - every last bit of it had been worth it if it had spared Elizabeth Bennet one moment of pain.


End file.
